One Day in London
What do you see if you’ve only got one day in London? A city so vast that there’s more to see and do, even for the good people who live there.
Today was really about meeting up with Justine and her boyfriend. Spending some time with a good friend and enjoying a little of this city and its history.
Getting to London is wonderfully easy when you live in York. It’s nothing more than a pleasurable 2 hour train ride, straight down the country. Then some tube fandangling (thanks to the continued engineering works) before arriving at Tower Hill. Although I did come out at Monument and walked the rest.
The original plan was to visit the Tower of London and take things from there. While waiting for Justine and Devon the plans slowly changed. A flurry of text messages meant finding the nearest station to Abbey Road and the notion that the Tower of London was too big for an American with one day to be a tourist.
Once we finally met up the decision was made to visit the London Dungeon first. I’d had two previous visits there, both some 25-30 years ago. Being scared the first time and scaring others on the second trip.
The walk from Tower Hill to the London Dungeon takes you past Pudding Lane and the Monument to the Great Fire of London. Useful with what was to come. Across London Bridge and to the Dungeon.
I wasn’t expecting quite what the London Dungeon has become. It used to be a museum to torture, death, history and all the good things macabre. While those elements still remain we were guided through various scenes and settings of London’s ancient history. Each scene acted out from the introduction through some of London’s history. Medieval torture devices, the Great Fire, a Victorian séance, Sweeny Todd and Jack the Ripper all feature. A different and enjoyable time.
From the London Dungeon, the next stop was to St John’s Wood and Abbey Road. The Mecca for all Beatles fans isn’t hard to find. Just come out of the tube station and follow the other tourists down Grove End Road until you reach that famous (and often repainted) zebra crossing.
The recording studio was clad in scaffolding and although its future is uncertain the number of people being photographed crossing that zebra crossing will never diminish. No one does it barefoot though.
As the rain started it was back into the world’s oldest underground rail network and a visit to the Mother of all Parliaments. Although the current building is relatively young it is still an impressive building and the area around Westminster was quiet, it being Sunday.
I had to be back at Kings Cross for my train home so left Justine and Devon (and the rain) after what had been a fun day out.
